George



(No Model.)

G. O. DRAPER.

' LOOM. No. 596,487.

Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

UNITED STATES GEORGE O. DRAPER, OF HOPEDALE,

PATENT FFICE.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,487, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed June 1, 1897- Serial No. 638,874. (No modeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE O. DRAPER, of I'Iopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In looms for weaving it usually happens that when the filling is exhausted from the filling-carrier the loose end of filling will be carried by the shuttle into the shed and left in the cloth between the selvages, leaving an imperfection in'the cloth. Means have been devised heretofore to detect or feel the filling on the filling-carrier in the shuttle and to operate through suitable devices to either automatically stop the loom when the filling has been nearly exhausted or exhausted to a predetermined extent or to supply a fresh supply of filling at such time, the feeler acting through the open top of the shuttle to engage or detect the filling on the filling-carrier.

In my present invention I mount the feeler in such position that it enters the shuttle through a slot in the side wall thereof, and by a system of multiplying mechanism a very minute movement of the feeler will effect a considerable movement of a hunter adapted to cooperate with and actuate suitable mechanism to either stop the loom or change the filling just before it is exhausted from the filling-carrier in the shuttle.

Various other features of my invention will be hereinafter described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a top or plan view of a sufficient portion of aloom to be understood with my invention applied thereto, one end of the lay with the shuttle-box and shuttle therein being shown, the various parts being in the position assumed when the filling-carrier is well supplied with filling, the filling changing mechanism being omitted. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof on the line w as, Fig. 1, thefilling-changing mechanism being shown. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the feeler and cooperating parts when the lay is fully forward, with the feeler Withdrawn from the path of the shuttle. Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but with the filling exhausted sufficiently to cause the operation of the feeler to efiect the change of filling. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the adjustable tip or end of the feeler, and Fig. (3 is amodification to be referred to.

The lay A, shuttle-box A thereon, and the breast-beam A are and may be of usual or well-known construction in looms, the fillingchanging mechanism (shown in Fig. 2) comprising a rotatable filling-feeder, only one member a being shown. The stud f, the pusher f, mounted thereon and having the depending end f and a projection 21, the spring 22 to raise the pusher, and the arm f 011 the stud f, having pivotally mounted upon it a tip supporting or directing device f are and may be all as represented in United States Patent No. 529,942, wherein like letters and figures are used herein to designate like parts, the operation of the pusher to transfer a fresh fillingcarrier to the shuttle S being well understood. Abracket b, suitablyattached to the front side of the lay, is provided with an upright stud Z), on which is pivotally mounted a lever 11 11 the longer arm b constituting a feeler-carrier, having a curved slot 12 therein with the stud as its center. The shorter arm 19 of the lever is bent rearwardly to enter at times a slot 30 in the front wall of the shuttle-box A, the tip or extremity of the said arm, which constitutes the feeler, being preferably made adjustable, as best shown in Fig. 5. Referring to said Fig. 5, the end of the arm is laterally shouldered at 2 and longitudinally grooved at 3 to receive therein and guide a pin 4 on the shank 5 of a tip 6, having a preferably rounded end, adjustably-held in place by a screw 10, rotation of the latter moving the tip in or out' to vary the effective length of the go feeler. r

The feeler and its carrier are so mounted on the lay relatively to the shuttle-box that when the carrier is swung on its fulcrum the tip of the feeler will enter the slot 30 in the shuttle-box, passing through a slot 5 in the side wall of the shuttle when properly positioned in the box and engaging the filling on the filling-carrier c, as in Fig. 1.

A spring 8, connected with the feeler, nor- 10o mally tends to move the tip 6 thereof into the shuttle-box, and the end of the carrier b is engaged by the breast-beam A or some other suitable fixed part of the loom as the lay is about completing its forward stroke, rocking the feeler against the action of its spring 3 and withdrawing it from the path of the shuttle, as in Fig. 3, the feeler being retained in such position during a portion of the backward stroke of the lay by a springlatch Z, mounted on the bracket 1). Such withdrawal of the feeler from the path of the shuttle permits the latter to be thrown across the lay at the next pick.

I have herein shown a bunter d, pivotally mounted on the stud Z) and adapted to be moved into or out of the path of a dog at, carried by the end f 0f the pusher,said bunter being connected by a link d with one arm of a bell-crank lever d fulcrumed at d on the bracket b near the slotted end of the feelerlever. A stud or pin (1 on the other arm of the bell-crank lever d enters the slot 19 of the feeler-carrier, and when the latter is swung outward, as in Fig. 4, far enough to bring the end 12 of said slot against stud d the lever d will be rocked to swing the hunter 01 into full-line position, Fig. 4. The bunter is also acted upon by a spring 8, mounted on the feeler near its fulcrum, said spring from its position being normally relaxed and inoperative; but when the feeler is moved outwardly by engagement of the breast-beam and feelercarrier, as in Fig. 3, the spring is compressed gradually and sufficient energy stored up therein to return the hunter and attached parts to normal position after engagement of the bunter and dog.

A flexible connection or cord Z is fastened at one end to the loom-frame A and at its other end to the latch Z, passing over an intermediate idler pulley or sheave Z on the lay, the connection Z being of such length that it will not be tightened until the lay has nearly completed its backward stroke and after the shuttle has been thrown, tightening of the said connection, withdrawing the latch Z from engagement with and releasing the feeler-earrier. When so released, the feelercontrolling spring 8 acts to move the feeler through the slot 8X in the shuttle if the latter is in the shuttle -box, so that its tip may feel or engage the filling e on the filling-carrier c, as in Fig. 1, and until the filling is exhausted to a predetermined extent the end 12 of the slot 19 will not engage the stud 01 upon such release and movement of the feeler and its carrier.

The lay moves forward after release of the feeler, and as the bunter d is in inoperative position it will not engage the dog 01, and the filling-changing or other mechanism controlled thereby will not be operated. When the lay beats up, the feeler-carrier b will be rocked by engagement with the breast-beam, as described, to withdraw the feeler from the shuttle, and the carrier will be locked by the latch Z, as in Fig. 3. At the same time the end 12 of the slot 12 moves back from the pin d, and the compressed springs acts to move the hunter into inoperative position, Figs. 1 and 3. On the next beat up of the lay the shuttle will be in the opposite shuttle-box, and after its release, as described, the feeler will move in to the now empty sh Little-box A, and it will swing in to its full extent, (see dotted lines, Fig 4,) the end 12 of the slot 5 then acting on the pin 01 to rock the bell-crank lever d and throw the hunter d to the right in dotted lines, Fig. 4, and out of the path of the dog (1, so that the mechanism controlled by the dog will not be operated. As the lay then beats up, the feeler-carrier will be swung in by engagement with the breast-beam, as described, compressing the bunter-controllingspring 3, and as soon as the lay moves back far enough to permit the hunter to swing on its pivot past the dog the bu nter-spring s will act to restore the parts to normal position, (Shown in Fig. 1.) This arrangement and op. eration obviate the use of mechanism operative at every alternate pick to prevent operation of the filling-changing mechanismand as the latter mechanism is at the same side of the loom as the feeler and the controlling devices therefor all intermediate devices between the loom sides are done away with.

Let it now be supposed that the feeler is desired to operate the filling-changing mechanism or, it may be, stopping mechanism for the loom when the filling has been drawn off until the shank or straight portion of the filling-carrier c is bared or covered only by a few turns of filling. At such time when the lay beats up and the shuttle is in the shuttlebox adjacent the feeler the latter will have a greater amplitude of movement, as in full lines, Fig. 4, than when more fillingis present. This greater movement of the feeler and its carrier brings the end 12 of the slot 79 into engagement with the pin cl of the bell-crank lever, rocking the latter to bring the bunter d directly into operative position in front of the dog 61, so that as the lay completes its forward stroke the dog will be moved by the bunter to actuate the pusher and transfer a fresh filling-carrier from the filling-feeder to the shuttle.

The operative position of the bunter is shown in full lines, Fig. 4, and it will be observed that while the feeler-carrier will be engaged and moved somewhat by the breastbeam before engagement of the dog and bunter the bunter-spring will not be compressed sufliciently to throw the hunter to the left before it engages the dog.

After the mechanism controlled by the dog has operated either to stop the loom or to transfer a fresh filling-carrier to the shuttle the lay moves back, and as soon as the bunter and dog are disengaged the bunter-spring s will restore the bunter and its connected de vices to normal position, Fig. 1 or 3, it being remembered that at each forward beat of the lay the feeler-carrier and feeler will be rocked IIS or swung to withdraw the feeler from the path of the shuttle and that the feeler will be locked in such position until on the backward stroke of the lay the next shot of the shuttle has been made.

It will be obvious that instead of the slot 12 herein shown in the feeler-carrier a notch therein would fulfil all the functions of the slot, such construction being shown in Fig. 6, wherein the feeler-carrier Z2 is provided with an open-sided notch Z7 The feeler mechanism operates at every stroke of the lay whether the shuttle is inthe adjacent shuttle-box or in the shuttle-box at the other end of the lay.

By the system of lever-arms herein shown a very slight movement of the feeler operates to give a very considerable movement to the hunter.

By means of the adjustable tip 6 on the feeler the mechanism can be regulated with the very greatest nicety to act when practically any desired number of turns or layers of filling remain on the filling-carrier, or the mechanism may be adjusted thereby to operate when the filling has, been drawn oft sufficiently to leave the shank of thefilling-carrier bare. Referring to Fig. 4, where such latter condition of affairs is shown, if it be desired to operate the dog-controlled mechanism when a port-ion of the filling yet remains on the shank of the filling-carrier the adj usting-screw 10 would be turned to draw the tip in sufficiently to compensate for the thickness of the filling, and thereby the feeler-carrier and feeler as a whole would have the same throw.

In my invention the feeler performs a double function-viz.,to feel or detect the filling on the filling-carrier in the shuttle and to act as a shuttle-positioning device when used with a filling-changing mechanism. In

such case the slot in the shuttle-wall will beso proportioned that if the shuttle is far out of position in the shuttle-box the feeler cannot enter the slot, but will strike the wood of the shuttle. The feeler-actuating spring 3 of course permits such stoppage of the feeler, and consequently the feeler-carrier will not be moved far enough to operate the bunter and through it effect the actuation of the filling-changing mechanism. It is thus obvious that there is no danger of a filling-carrier being transferred from the filling-changing mechanism when the shuttle is not properly positioned to receive it to thereby cause breakage.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a loom, the combination with a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slottially as described.

2. In aloom, the combination with'a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slotted side, of a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, means to move said feeler in a lateral plane to enter the slot in the shuttle and cooperate with the filling, and fillingchanging mechanism controlled by said feeler and at the same side of the loom, to operate upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent, substantially as described.

3. In aloom, the combination with a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slotted side, of a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, means to move said feeler in a lateral plane to enter the slot in the shuttle and cooperate with the filling, filling-changing mechanism controlled by said feeler and at the same side of the loom, to operate upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent, and multiplying connectionsintermediate the feeler and said mechanism, to operate substantially as described.

4. In a loom, the combination with the lay having a shuttle-box, and a feeler mounted on the lay, of means to move said feeler to enter the shuttle-box at each beat of the lay, independent means to Withdraw the feeler from the shuttle-box as the lay beats up, and a detent to retain the feeler inoperative during a portion of the back stroke of the lay, substantially as described.

5. In a loom, the combination with the lay having a shuttle-box, a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slot in its side, and a, feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, of means to move the feeler to enter the slot of the shuttle and cooperate with the filling, means to withdraw the feeler from the path of the shuttle, a device to retain the feeler inoperative until after the next shot of the shuttle, and means to automatically release the feeler, substantially as described.

6. In a loom, the combination with the lay, a shuttle containing a filling-carrier, and a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, of means to move the feeler to cooperate with the filling and an adjustable tip for the feeler, substantially as described.

7. In a loom, the combination with the lay, a shuttle containing a filling-carrier, and a feeler mounted independently of the shuttle, of means to move the feeler at predetermined intervals to cooperate with the filling, means to positively lock the feeler in inoperative and retracted position while the shuttle is thrown through the shed, a device to release the feeler after the shuttle has completed its throw, and filling-changing mechanism controlled by the feeler, to operate when the filling in the shuttle is exhausted to a predetermined extent, substantially as described.

8. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle containing a filling-carrier, and a feeler mounted on the lay, combined with means to move the feeler to cooperate with the filling, filling-changing mechanism, an actuating-bunter therefor, connections between said hunter and feeler,

to more the latter into operative position when the filling is exhausted to a predetermined extent, and independent means controlled by the feeler to return the hunter to normal, inoperative position, substantially as described.

9. In a loom, the combinationwith a shuttle containing a filling-carrier,afeeler mounted independently of the shuttle, and a feelercarrier, of means to swing said feeler-carrier to efiect cooperation of the feeler with the filling, a hunter, multiplying connections between it and the feeler,whereby a slight movement of the latter will cause an increased movement of the hunter, and filling-changing mechanism actuated by the hunter when the filling is exhausted to a predetermined eX- tent, substantially as described.

10. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box, ashuttle containing a supply of filling, and a feeler to cooperate with and determine the amount of filling when the shuttle is in the shuttlebox, combined with means to move the feeler toward the filling, independent means to retract it, fillingchanging mechanism controlled by the feeler, a detent to retain the feeler inoperative when the shuttle is in motion, and means to release the feeler after the shuttle has completed its throw, substantially as described.

11. In a loom, a feeler to detect the exhaustion of filling in the shuttle to a predetermined extent, means to move the feeler into operative position, independent means to retract it, and a detent to retain the feeler stationary and in retracted position during a portion of the stroke of the lay, substantially as described.

12. In a loom, a shuttle having a slot in one of its vertical side walls, a feeler independent of the shuttle and adapted to detect the exhaustion of filling in the latter, a vertical pivot upon which the feeler is mounted, and means to move said feeler in a substantially horizontal plane.

13. In a loom, filling-changing mechanism, a shuttle having a slot in its side and a 00- operating ieeler to control said filling-changing mechanism, said slot permitting the effective movement of the feeler only when the shuttle is in proper position to receive a supply of filling, substantially as described.

14. In a loom, filling-changing mechanism cooperating with one shuttle-box on the lay, combined with a shuttle, and a feeler to detect the volume of filling on the filling carrier in the shuttle when the latter is in the shuttle-box in which it shall receive a fresh supply of filling at the time indicated by said feeler, substantially as described.

15. In a loom, the combination with a sh uttle containing a filling-carrier, of a feeler, means to move it to detect the position of the shuttle in the shuttle-box and to cooperate with the filling when the shuttle is properly positioned, and fillingchanging mechanism controlled by the feeler, substantially as described.

16. In a loom, the combination with a shuttle containing a filling-carrier and having a slotted side, of a combined filling-feeler and shuttle-position detecting device, means to move the same to enter the slot of the shuttle and cooperate with the filling when the shuttle is properly positioned in the shuttle-box, and filling-changing mechanism controlled by the said feeler, the shuttle when improperly positioned in the box preventing movement of the feeler sufficient to effect operation of the filling-changing mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE O. DRAPER.

Witnesses:

E. D. BANCROFT, E. E. HOWARD. 

